Costs and Returns for a Modelled 3000mt RAS Salmon Farm Gary Robinson, GRV Inc.
The 3000mt Excel Model Variables Input Revenue and Expenses 10 Year Cash Flow Table Operating Costs & Metrics Monthly results for : Income Statement Bio Metrics and Feed FCR, Growth, Mort rate, feed cost Feed Cash Flow Statement Smolts Smolt timing and cost Smolts Labour Staffing plan and costs Labour Key Metrics and Summary Energy Non heat and heat, electrical rates Energy Investment Summary Water Treatments PH adjust, salinity, water use, Water Treatments Year 3 Financial Results Insurance Fish, Property, Liability Insurance Annual Production Maintenance Maintenance Key Variables Misc Fixed Admin, Financial, > 25 categories Misc Operating Misc Variable oxygen, waste, fish treatments Processing and sales Balance Sheet Processing and Sales harvest, freight, processing, sales, packaging Corporate overheads Revenue fish size/product type x volume x price schedules Non Production Start Up Corporate Overheads Inventory values Non Production Start Up costs Revenue Partnership profit share Set up for processing and sales partnership Interest Grant Financing Debt Financing Debt and equity inputs, re payments, interest Bioplan Cohort Results: Fish projections Harvest Volume Feed Volume monthly results balance, size, growth, mortality Capex Database Detailed Construction cost list Capex Summary Capex list by category
Global Cost Drivers Management team and staff Scale Risk management strategy Automation/ Mechanization Bioplan (growth, feed conversion, early maturation, rearing densities) Recommendation: Hire the best. Hire them before start of design
Bioplan The cornerstone of the business model
Bioplan Growth Recommendation: Bioplans must use growth rates that are achieved in RAS systems.
Bioplan Growth Assumption: Average salmon grow rates achieved in RAS systems Underlying assumptions. TGC = 2.2 Underlying assumptions Fish harvested before maturation begins Good water quality and husbandry Healthy fish
Bioplan Feed Conversion Biological FCR s close to 1.00 have been achieved at Kuterra. However, results vary considerably. Assumptions: 1.05 biological, 1.07 economic Underlying assumptions Effective application of commercial feeding techniques Good water quality and husbandry Healthy fish Standard commercial feed diets Recommendation: Employ people skilled in commercial approaches to feeding market sized salmon.
Bioplan Mortality 5%/ production cycle Underlying Assumptions Good biosecurity: Disease free eggs, vaccinated smolts, disinfected supply water, etc. Good fish husbandry Stable water supply and treatment systems Saltwater (or hard freshwater)
Bioplan Other Economically Important Considerations (Not modelled) Water Quality Fish Handling Strategy Rearing Densities Photoperiod.
OPEX
OPEX Cost breakdown
OPEX Key metrics Metric Feed cost $2.0/kg Standard diet, natural pigment, small volume pricing. Energy Cost $0.08/kwh BC Hydro (Kuterra) Energy Efficiency 5 kwh/kg Multiple sources. Includes oxygen generation Smolt cost $1.75/100gm smolt Estimated internal cost Processing, packaging, sales and freight cost Labour $2.20/ kg HOG 13 people Multiple sources.
OPEX Total Production cost: $4.6/kg HOG (Farm gate) Cost in the box: $6.8/kg HOG (Processed and delivered to locally).
OPEX Cost vs Scale
Revenue
Revenue
Revenue Model Assumptions Wholesale Price $/lb HOG $/kg HOG Kuterra premium grade (3 year avg.) 6.2 13.7 Kuterra all grades (3 year avg.) 5.6 12.3 Model assumption (95% premium) 6.0 13.2
CAPEX
CAPEX key variables Bioplan Vertical integration: Hatchery, processing, waste recycling, etc. Local currency, regulations, services, site conditions Risk management: Redundancy's/ back up systems Scale
CAPEX Cost vs Scale
CAPEX 3000mt model assumptions Construction: $20/kg live Hatchery, no processing, no advanced waste treatment Average cost based on scale vs cost curve Inventory build up $3/kg live. Not included most analysis Can be considered capital (budgeted as working capital) Land cost excluded
Returns
Returns Financial Summary (year 3) ($m) $/kg HOG $/lb HOG CAPEX (Construction Cost) 60.1 $20.0 $9.1 Revenue 34.1 $13.2 $6.0 OPEX Farming Expenses 11.8 $4.6 $2.1 Processing Packaging, Sales and 5.7 $2.2 $1.0 Freight Total Production Expenses 17.5 $6.8 $3.1 Corporate overheads 0.1 $0.0 $0.0 Total Expenses 17.5 $6.8 $3.1 Returns (unleveraged) EBITDA 16.6 $6.4 $2.9 Return on Capital 28% Inventory build up cost 9.1 $3.0 $1.4 Return on Capital Employed 24%
However! Price premium in the future may be lower due to: Challenges in the market to sustainability ranking Added RAS volumes Capital and operating costs will continue to drop due to increasing scale and other technology refinements
Return on Capital vs Scale at Different Price Premiums (using composite Capex and Opex data)
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